1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for removably storing tubular and other elongated objects.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,323 of Burger discloses a jar clip comprising a plurality of horseshoe-shaped metal clips which are fastened to the underside of a shelf or the like. The clips provide a space between the edge of the clip and the underside of the shelf or the like so that the lid of a jar may be slid laterally into an opening and retained by thereby having the edge of the clip being under the lip of the lid of the jar. A pair of resilient points may be provided in the edge near the entrance to the clip, in order to provide a springing or locking action around the neck of the jar when it is pressed into place.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,323 does show an embodiment having a plurality of openings for storing jars. These opening, however, do not functions as clamps and, thus, cannot hold objects, such as paint cans, caulking tubes, etc., that do not have a lip or groove to be supported by the edge of the clip. Moreover, the openings in the jar clip of Burger are not interchangeable or slidable and do not hold the jars from the sides.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,537,345 of Iorio covers a portable package for containers having a base portion in the form of a channel with depending legs and inwardly turned flanges which engage and support a lip or groove below the lid of a jar. As was the case with the Burger patent, there are, however, no interchangeable clamps for holding objects that do not have a lip or groove which can be supported.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,877 of Galicia applies to a clip-type holder for toothbrushes and the like. A base strip is adhesively mountable to a surface such as a wall and contains a plurality of integrally formed, flared, protruding clips. The clips have pairs of resilient arms that are deflected apart from one another when a suitable sized object, such as the handle of a toothbrush, is forced between such arms. The resilient arms thereby grip and frictionally retain such an object. The clips are, though, not either interchangeable or slidable.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,695 of Hronas concerns an elongate bar having a number of apertures into which a pair of hooks associated with a container cover are inserted and retained. Containers may be screwed onto the container covers. Although not explicitly stated in the Hronas patent, the elongated wall would presumably be fastened to a wall. This patent, though, does not include slidable, interchangeable clamps for holding an object.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,512 of Mackenzie discloses a jar organizer and storage rack that has a plurality of vertical tubes mounted to a rigid planar surface with a bar running along the bottom of the tubes. Jars or cans are stacked within the tubes and rest on the lower bar. Each tube contains a slot along its entire length, such slot having wider portions and narrower portions with the narrower portions capable of accommodating a human finger. A user may select a jar or can from within one of the tubes by locating such gar or can through the slot, grasping the jar or can with the user's fingers, and moving the jar or can to a wider portion of the slot for removal. There are, however, no slidable, interchangeable clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,949 of Cosgrove concerns a device for releasably supporting a plurality of objects. The device has an elongated channel of PVC or similar plastic material, with depending sides and inwardly directed flanges. The flanges are configured for gripping the lip of a container such as the bottom or top of a can or the edge below the lid of a jar. The device of Cosgrove, though, does not possess clamps—let alone slidable, interchangeable clamps—and can only support those objects which have a lip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,100 of Sweeny covers a wall-mounted bracket for holding canisters. Each bracket consists of a rear wall having a flexible strap and a support lip at the bottom. The flexible strap has notches for closing the strap at various lengths so that such strap can firmly hold a variety of sizes of canisters against the rear wall. Several brackets can be rigidly connected to one another with a web. There are again, however, no slidable, interchangeable clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,673 of Weterrings et al. has a plurality of pairs of resilient arms extending from a back panel that can be attached to a surface such as a wall. The pairs form semi-cylindrical holders but also have inward projections to support an object, such as a spice jar. The pairs, though, are neither slidable nor interchangeable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,359 of Marino discloses a device that is somewhat similar to that of U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,323 of Burger. A plurality of horseshoe-shaped slots are disposed on the underside of a shelf or the like. The slots each have downwardly depending sides and inwardly oriented flanges, which support the edges of unique rectangular lids or covers for containers. The slots form a space between the flanges and the underside of the shelf or the like wherein the rectangular lids may be slid. The lid may be attached to a jar so that the flanges may thereby support the jar. Once more, there are no slidable or interchangeable clamps.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,569 of Sakaida does, though, in the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 have interchangeable clamps that are slidably mounted within a support rail that is, according to lines 51 through 59 of column 4, “fixedly mounted on . . . instruments, wall surfaces, floor and the like . . . ”
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 207,411 of Diesinger appears to show a spice rack that is similar to the devices in U.S. Pat. No. 2,633,323 of Burger and U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,359 of Marino.
U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 379,060 and 379,427 of Laga show clips on a bar. The design patents do not clarify whether the clips or slidable or interchangeable. The clips for the device of Pat. No. Des. 379,060, though appear to be fastened to the bar with rivets, impairing any slidability or interchangeability. Moreover, the construction of both devices—especially the stud mounting brackets at the ends of each bar—would seem to preclude the interchange of clamps.
And U.S. Pat. No. Des. 413,035 of Weterrings et al. appears to be identical to U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,673 of Weterrings et al.
None of the preceding patents, however, have a clamp with resilient arms the deflection of which produces a braking effect that prevents the clamp from sliding.